Birthdays and cake go together like milk and cookies or PB and J! Can you even fathom celebrating a birthday without some form of birthday cake? It’s practically criminal to host a birthday party without cake! Today we’re sharing tips for adding that special touch to a birthday cake, making it unique year after year! We think you’ll love these 5 fabulous trips for dressing up a birthday cake. (And we can definitely help you out with tip #2! Printables are our specialty!)
1. Create a birthday cake bunting!
Even a plain cake baked up at home or simply frosted at your local store bakery can be dressed up with a bunting. Cut or punch (using shaped paper punches) triangles, squares, circles or rectangles from patterned paper to coordinate with your color palette or chosen party theme. Adhere them to baker’s twine using hot glue. Attach them to wooden skewers and insert them into your cake for a festive touch.
2. Add printable toppers!
Whether you are serving a full-sized birthday cake or individual birthday cupcakes, a printable topper can add some extra pizzazz. Many graphic designers can create theme coordinating toppers that can be added to toothpicks, sucker sticks or skewers to match any theme or color scheme. Printable toppers are inexpensive and so easy to use!
3. Add fondant details.
If you like 3-D figures, letters or shapes, you may want to add fondant details to your cake. Many stores sell pre-made fondant, or you can make your own. Even easier, hire someone to make you a set of fondant embellishments for your cake. They can create a name, a number to represent the birthday age, or even theme coordinating characters. You can sit these fondant pieces directly on your cake or add height by attaching them to your cake with skewers or candy sticks.
4. Embellish your cake with candy & edible decorations. (This example features cupcakes, but the same principle could be applied to a cake.)
Take a trip down the candy aisle at your local grocery store or party center and behold the oodles and oodles of cake decorating inspiration. Add an edible gumball border. Create a pattern on the top of your cake with colored candies such as M & Ms, Reese’s Pieces or Skittles. Use items like Tootsie Rolls, Twix bars or other candy bars to create everything from candy cars to a wood pile! Flatten Starbursts with a rolling pin and use mini cookie cutters to create colorful shapes.
5. Add fresh flowers.
Flowers are a beautiful cake accent. You can pick them from your own garden, buy them at a grocery store, or order them from a favorite florist. You can attach them to floral wire and picks to insert into the cake or simply rest an arrangement on top. When it’s time to cut the cake, simply remove the flowers.
Mix and match these 5 ways to dress up a birthday cake to enjoy many years of creative cakes!
